Helping Katrina's victims

 
Choctaws donate proceeds, tribe opens casino to evacuees, Kiowa woman
travels to disaster site


Native Ameircan Times 9/1/2005

As the nation watches stunned by the images of the destruction wrought
by Hurricane Katrina, an Indian tribe has opened its doors to shelter
victims while individual Natives are heading to the damaged areas to
help out.

Louisiana's Tunica-Biloxi Tribe let hundreds of displaced people take
refuge in their Paragon Casino and Resort.

"We are providing food, clothing, linen and water for hygiene to help
these people in their time of need," Tunica-Biloxi spokeswoman Linda
Bordelon told the Native American Times.

She said the casino housed as many as 520 evacuees from seven parishes.

"You have people with medical needs-things like asthma- and we had to
get doctors to help them. One lady is pregnant and we had to find a
hospital bed for her. People's lives continue but they fear for their
jobs. Many of them will be destitute," she said.

Over a decade ago, leaders of the tribe successfully negotiated to
open Louisiana's first land-based casino. Bordelon said the tribe's
success enabled them to offer help.

"The tribe has always been a positive partner with the community. We
have been blessed with economic success and when we realized these
evacuees were homeless and had lost everything we opened our doors,"
she said.

In Oklahoma, the Choctaw Nation is using one full day's worth of
casino profits to help hurricane victims in the hardest hit areas of
Mississippi and Louisiana. The tribe is also donating a week's worth
of proceeds from fuel sales at all thirteen Choctaw Travel Plazas.

"The high fuel costs we are seeing at the pumps are something we are
all unhappy with. Perhaps knowing that profits from fuel sales at the
tribal travel plazas are going toward help for victims of Hurricane
Katrina will ease the pain of paying for a tank of gas," said Choctaw
Chief Greg Pyle.

The casino donations will come from all gaming that takes place on
Labor Day-traditionally a period that sees a heavy flow of customers.

The tribe has also set up a toll-free number for individuals,
businesses and tribes in Oklahoma wishing to make contributions. The
toll-free number is 1-866-326-1000.

Pyle says the Choctaws mobilized to send assistance for two reasons.

"It is the right thing to do," he said. "Mississippi is our ancestral
homeland, and we have a great number of tribal members who live in
that state and in Louisiana."

Individual tribal members are also providing assistance.

Star Nayea, a Chippewa/Potawatomi singer based in New Mexico, has sent
an e-mail to other artists in an attempt to enlist their support for a
benefit concert.

I've played [at the] New Orleans Jazz fest two years thus far. Awesome
city what a tragic loss. What can we do to help?" Nayea wrote. "But we
can do something. We are wealthy with spiritual awareness & talents
Creator gave us. I suggest we come together for a Katrina Relief
Concert. KRC concert event."

Back in Oklahoma, Roberta Lewis is a member of the Kiowa Tribe working
with the Army Corps of Engineers. She has been dispatched to help
hurricane victims.

"We are on a water mission right now," Lewis, of Tulsa, told the
Native American Times by cell phone. "It is very busy down here."

And likely will continue to be for some time.

 

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• 2001 NAMA winner for "Best Independent Recording", Somewhere In A Dream
• Guest vocalist on "Making A Noise In The World" and "Unity Song" on Robbie Robertson's Contact from the Underworld of Redboy.
• Featured female singer: Broadway style production, TRIBE.
• Performed with Testament, a west coast heavy metal band and was a guest vocalist on their CD, "Live At The Fillmore".
• Performed a track on Virgin Records, 1-10 Chronicles, Vol. II.
• Performed with Rita Coolidge & Walela, Buffy St. Marie, Ulali, Joanne Shenandoah, Indigenous and Willie Nelson just to name a few.
• Accompanied Robbie Robertson on stage for the First Annual Native American Music Awards at the Foxwoods Resort in Connecticut.
• Performed with Robert Mirabal at the New Orleans Jazz Festival.

Star is described as "The little lady with a big voice". She has released her latest EP, Somewhere In A Dream. This album received rave reviews across Indian country and Canada. Three songs topped the southwestern radio charts at #1 for three consecutive weeks.
Star co-produced, wrote this album with her longtime friend and colleague David Shelley. Somewhere In A Dream has the stylistics of pop/rock and an adult comtemporary feel. It is a true representation of Star's coming of age.
Star has also released a holiday album titled, "Christmas Dream".

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